A <i>PM</i> Essay: Man And Myth - Behind Sir Thomas Crapper, 'Inventor' Of The Toilet
Serious writers do not claim that the Crapper story is true, but they continue to retell the story with relish. In fact, people love to tell creation stories. The human psyche is complex and multifaceted, and origin stories thrive because they serve several of our psychological needs; namely, our desires to know about our origins, understand everyday occurrences, and create heroes, even at the expense of reality.
However, the Crapper story operates on an additional level because it appeals to a fascinating aspect of human nature: our fixation with the scatological. Our attitudes toward human waste and other “dangers” form critical parts of our psyche, and the story of Thomas Crapper provides a means of addressing these fears.